Album Review: The Leisure Society – Sleeper

It’s about the journey. Travel, of course, has long been the subject of folk songs, with their widescreen tales of the open road and longing for places miles distant. But, as much as the lyrics are about movement, so is the music itself, changing and shifting from place to place and time to time. The widescreen scope of Americana may be an ocean apart from the wilds of Brighton, then, but its wistful heart can still be felt on Sleeper, The Leisure Society’s debut album. The relocation has added something, too: there’s a peculiarly British undertow at work, beneath the pedal steel and pastoral orchestration.

Anika recommends: Ema and the Ghosts

Who? Californian multi-instrumentalist Ema and some not-so-spooky ghosts. She released 6-track EP ‘Boy In The Milkbox’ last year but it’s a bit tricky to get your hands on it. You may have to do some online rummaging to find the songs, but it’s worth it.